Freezing-box.



No. 743,126. PATENTED NOV. a, 1903.

' A. E. WILSON. FREEZING BOX.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 21' 1903.

N0 MODEL.

llllllllllll illlilllfllll 10 I I 0 1% h 4 L, 3 3 \5 115 j y i Y lllll fi Witnesses:

i I By Attorneys U ITED STATES Patented November 3, 1903.

ARCHIBALD EDWARD WILSON, OF ELKHORN, CANADA.

FREEZING-BOX.

3PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 743,126, dated November 3, 1903. Application filed May 21, 1903. $611131 NO- 15 8,166. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARCHIBALD EDWARD IVILSON, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Elkhorn, in the county of Dennis, in the Province of Manitoba, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFreezing-Boxes; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

In some parts of the country where a scarcity of water exists no opportunity is aiforded during the winter season 'for gathering natural ice from rivers and lakes and for this reason ice is expensive and difficult to obtain in these districts. These observations apply especially to rural districts having primitive transportation facilities. While the facilities for the production of naturalice in these localities are meager and wholly insufiicient to meet the demands, the facilities for packing and storing ice are exceptionally good, as the large quantity of straw useful in packing ice is easily to be had.

The object of this invention is to provide a receptacle which is especially adapted for use in the localities mentioned,'whi'ch recepjoints and suitable arrangements for insur- 1 ing that the box will be water-tight.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and definitely set forth in the claims.

In the drawings which fully illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is an end elevation of the box. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a verti cal section of thebox,taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. i is a horizontal section taken substantially 011 the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a perspective. Fig.

6 is a perspective of a part used in connection with the box to insure its being water-tight.

Throughout the drawings and specification the same numerals of reference denote like parts.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 1 represents the receptacle mentioned above, which consists, preferably, of a substantially square box comprising sides 2 and ends 3, which are formed of stout material. It should be observed that these sides and ends connect with each other at their extremities in mortised or rabbeted points 4, and, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 3, upon their inner faces the vertical walls of the box are provided below with longitudinally-disposed grooves or recesses 5, which grooves receive the laterallyprojecting tongues or flanges 6, which flanges project from the edges of a substantial bottom 7.

It should be understood that while the parts of the box are assembled in the manner indicated they are not permanently secured together at the joints, but are simply constrained into their proper position. To this end near the corners of the box are provided springs 8, preferably of helical form, as shown, there being preferably two of these springs located at each corner and disposed, respectively, near the upper and lower edges of the wall. These springs are attached at 9 to the wall of the box, and their free extremities 10 are attached to straps 11, which are preferably formed of leather and-which pass around the corners of the box in the manner shown, these straps being provided near their opposite extremities with elongated slits or openings 12, through which slits pass fasteners, such as the screws 13, which attach in the wall of the box at these points. From this arrangement it should be evident that while the side walls of the box are constrained together this constraint could be readily overcome by a force acting outwardly from within the box in such a manner as to push out the walls and expand or enlarge the interior or capacity of the box.

It should be observed that the vertical corners or edges of the box are rounded upon their outer sides, as indicated at 14, so as to facilitate the slipping of the straps 11 upon used for the purpose.

After the inner receptacle 15 has been set within the box, as suggested, it is filled with water and placed in an exposed position, so as to allow the water to freeze. In freezing of course the solidification of the Water produces the lateral expansion, which is compensated for by the possible movement of the side walls of the box, and hence no injury is done to the box, which consequently may be filled with water again and again for the same purpose.

The material out of which the box is constructed is preferably hard wood, and it is expected that the box would be made of any dimensions desired, so as to adapt it to the peculiar requirements or necessities of those to whom it would be useful.

It should be understood that the materialout of which the inner receptacle 15 is formed would be inexpensive, so that if destroyed by the expansion of the Water it could be easily replaced, and it should be borne in mind that while this inner receptacle is of this delicate, destructible, or waterproof material the outer receptacle operates to support the walls of the same, so as to enable them to withstand the very appreciable pressure and distorting effects due to the pressure of the water which would be maintained within the inner receptacle.

WVhile I have shown in the accompanying drawings the preferred form of my invention, it will be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise form shown, for many of the details may be changed in form or position without affecting the operativeness or utility of my invention, and I therefore reserve the right to make such modifications as are in cluded within the scope of the following claims or of mechanical equivalents to the structure set forth.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. A receptacle, comprising vertical walls and a bottom, said walls being jointed together, and jointed to said bottom, springs disposed at the vertical corners of said receptacle, flexible straps attached to said springs, and passing around said corners, said straps having slits therethrough, and fasteners passing throughsaid slits, and carried by said vertical walls.

2. Areceptacle,the walls whereof are jointed together, there being rounded corners adjacent to said joints, flexible straps passing around said corners and attached to said walls, and springs attached to said straps, and adapted to constrain said receptacle into contracted form.

3. A receptacle having a bottom with a laterally-projecting tongue extending about the edge thereof, side walls having longitudinally-disposed horizontal grooves adapted to receive said tongue, said side walls having rabbeted joints therebetween, a pair of opposite members of said side walls having rounded corners, removable flexible straps having slits therein passing around said corners,and disposed adjacent to the upper and lower portion of said receptacle, fastening devices mounted in the walls of said receptacle, and passing through said slits, springs attaching to the extremities of said straps,

and adapted to constrain said side walls inwardly, and a Water-tight lining formed of paraffin paper disposed within said recep tacle, and conforming to the interior thereof.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

ARCHIBALD EDWARD WILSON.

Vvitnesses:

ADR. W. WALLER, A. M. NAT FRAZER. 

